News from Czech beer scene plus some more stuff. Na zdravi!

NEW SEASON, NEW BEERS: SIX GREAT CHOICES FOR SUMMERhttp://gearpatrol.com/
Chinese medicine recommends “drinking with the seasons” — that is, consuming scented tea in the spring, green tea in the summer, oolong tea in the fall and black tea in the winter, so that the drink complements the mood and temperature of the season. These are wise words, proven unequivocally by another of our favorite beverages: beer. In the winter, for example, a roasty, toasty stout complements a cold evening beside a fire, but in the summer, the thought of consuming a 14 percent ABV Russian imperial ruins the appetite for a drink entirely. No, as the weather turns warmer we thirst for something whiter, lighter, a bit more refreshing. Fragrant farmhouse ales (also called “saisons”) fit the bill, as do floral pale ales and low ABV session IPAs. ‘Tis the season for lazy Saturdays, day hikes and easy drinking. Put some fire to that charcoal and crack open a cold one — one of these would be fine.

Everything Science Knows About Hangovers—And How to Cure Themhttp://www.wired.com/
Good morning, sunshine! You are so screwed. The light coming in through the window is so … there. You’d kill for a glass of water but die if it came with food. Your guts are in full rebellion; whatever happens next is going to happen in the bathroom. You have at least a couple of the following symptoms: headache, malaise, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, the shakes. You might also be dehydrated and feel generally slow—a little stupider, a little less coordinated. You, my friend, have a hangover. And you can take heart in the fact that you’re not alone. Some 77 percent of all drinkers report suffering from them. (The scientific term for the other 23 percent is “jerks.”) But here’s the amazing part: The underlying cause of your suffering remains a mystery. “What causes a hangover? Nobody really knows,” says epidemiologist Jonathan Howland. “And what can you do about it? Nobody knows.”

Why beer is good for your healthhttp://mickomalleys.com.au/
Among different types of alcoholic drinks, wine has always been given special attention for offering health benefits. But, studies show that regular but moderate intake of beer can also prove beneficial for both men and women, especially if one is facing age related health conditions. It is found that those who consume beer in moderate degree are 30 to 35% less likely to suffer heart problems compared to those who don’t. Moderate consumption of alcohol such as beer boosts the level of lipoprotein or HDL in body. Reasons why you can drink beer…..

The Science Behind Beer Foamhttp://www.craftbeer.com/
Whether you refer to it as foam, head, kräusen or the junk on top of your beer—love it or hate it—the foam that develops on top of most craft beers is impossible to ignore. But what is it, exactly? How can foam differ from glass to glass and beer to beer? Why is your beer foamy, but not the one served to the person sitting next to you? Behind beer foam’s mysterious curtain there is actually a lot of science!

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Summer of beer: Five festivals to look forward tohttp://www.washingtonpost.com/
Summer festival season is about to begin, and I’m not talking about music – I’m talking about beer. Five big events featuring dozens of craft breweries are coming to the Washington area over the next two months, and that’s before we get to the bacchanalia that is D.C. Beer Week in August. Which one(s) should you spend your hard-earned money on? To help wade through the relative merits of five upcoming events, I’ve put together this planning calendar.